A Call to Act - Health Policy Initiative

ANNEX F: SAMPLE ACTIVITIES FOR TRAINING RELIGIOUS
LEADERS ON GBV AND HIV
Sample activity from Gender-based Violence and HIV: Training Module for Religious Leaders and
Women of Faith, USAID | Health Policy Initiative.
Activity: Personal Beliefs/Reflections on GBV—“Vote with your feet” (45 minutes)
1. Tell the participants that we are going to discuss some statements about GBV. Explain to them
that in this activity they are going to explore their own views and beliefs about gender-based
violence.
2. Inform the participants that you are going to read a statement, and they need to decide if they
agree or disagree with it. Designate one side of the room for those who agree and the other side
for those who disagree. Tell the participants that when they decide, they have to move to the side
of the room that matches their response. Ensure that participants know this is just to generate
discussion and there is no “right” or “wrong” answer.
3. Read each statement twice to ensure all participants have heard it. After the participants make
their choice, ask one side why they are standing there. Generate responses and probe further with
additional questions. When you are through with one group, put the same question to the other
group.
Examples of Statements (only read 2 or 3)
1. In some instances, women provoke violent behavior.
2. Gender-based violence is too culturally sensitive an issue to be discussed in HIV/AIDS projects.
3. Men sometimes have good reasons to use violence against their wives.
4. Religious texts or teachings contribute to men’s violence against women.
5. Religious organizations are mandated or called to address gender-based violence.
6. It is not appropriate for religious leaders to discuss matters relating to women and sexuality.
Facilitator’s Note: With this activity, we want to understand the variety of personal and institutional
beliefs/norms/values related to GBV through the participants’ personal reflections. Part of this includes
individuals and cultures holding contradictory values—being aware of these contradictions is important
when working on GBV. Even though we may be familiar with GBV and the importance of addressing it,
some of the issues may be difficult for us to work on. Looking at our socialization and how our cultures
feel about violence towards women and girls may influence the way we address this issue in our faith
activities, or even if we’ll address it at all.
Sample Activity: Film—SASA! A Film about Women, Violence, and HIV (90 minutes).
Available at: www.raisingvoices.org/women/Sasa_film.php.
1. Inform the participants that we are going to watch a film on gender-based violence and HIV. This
will be an introduction to the focus of tomorrow’s topics and themes.
2. Tell them to keep in mind the previous discussion about different forms of GBV, sites of
violence, and consequences of the violence.
3. Show the video. After watching the film, divide the participants into three groups and assign each
of the groups three of the following questions to discuss:
• What is your initial reaction to the film?
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